Dallas’ newest film festival has sold out its inaugural run.
All tickets, 999 in total, for screenings at the Dallas Museum of Art’s Horchow Auditorium have been claimed ahead of the Aug. 29 Dallas Asian American Film Festival.
Founders say they created the event to highlight local talent. Five of its 10 films are North Texas-based productions, and another two feature filmmakers from other parts of the state.
“A lot of the home bases of Asian American culture and arts are usually credited to California and New York,” said festival director Christina Hahn. “But this is me putting a flag in the sand, I guess, and saying Asians in the South, Asian Texans we are making cinema too. We are making films as well and you shouldn't have to leave in order to be successful.”
The new festival kicks off roughly one month after the Asian Film Festival of Dallas, which features productions from Asian and Asian American filmmakers, celebrated its 25th year.
“I think they've done a great job in terms of bringing a lot of the talent from overseas into Dallas and exposing the people of Dallas to what different kinds of Asian cinema look like,” Hahn said.
Likewise, the Dallas Asian American Film Festival will highlight filmmakers with a diverse set of backgrounds.
“I'm really proud of what the makeup of our leadership team is because we are not only East Asian. We are South Asian, West Asian, Southeast Asian because one of the things that we're trying to do with our programming is expand people's understanding of what Asian and Asian American looks like," she continued.
Huzaifa Ejaz is a Pakistani-American filmmaker based in Dallas. Her short "Phir Milain Gey" is part of the festival's lineup.
“I’m truly honored to be part of the inaugural DAAFF and to share this moment alongside so many Asian filmmakers and storytellers," she said in a press release.
"It feels especially meaningful to represent a South Asian story told through an entirely female cast, one that honors the women whose lives, sacrifices, and stories we build upon.”
Kais Marz's live action short, "Marsupial," will also be shown Saturday.
“Being part of DAAFF in its first year excites me for what's to come for Asian Americans, especially here in Texas," the Dallas-based filmmaker said in a press release.
"For years it's felt like we've been counted out in the film industry, but now I can truly see we're taking a step in the right direction.”
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